The modernisation of Søndervang School | A School in Transition by SMAK architects

The Modernisation of Søndervang School

THE MODERNISATION OF SØNDERVANG SCHOOL A SCHOOL IN TRANSITION

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

CONTENT 5 Introduction 8 User involvement 10 Designparameters 11 Subject-tailored environments 14 Lower primary 18 Upper primary 24 Lower secondary level 28 The production kitchen and food technology 33 The educational learning centre 38 Motion path 46 Staff facilities

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

For financial reasons, the modernisation process was divided into smaller sub-projects, and the school has remained open during the entire renovation process. SMAK has been on board as a consultant throughout all phases of the process. The project began in 2013 and concluded in 2019.

The Modernisation of Søndervang School Introduction

A SCHOOL IN TRANSITION The school is a modern, ambitious and development-oriented primary and lower secondary school in the south of Aarhus with 350 students across years 0 to 9 – as well as 60 committed members of staff. The school is a multicultural place of learning with students from 20 different nationalities. 96% of the students have a background other than Danish – the school views this diversity as its greatest strength. The school is open throughout the entire working day and attended between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Søndervang School has created an everyday routine for students and employees that is centered around well-being, community and academic professionalism, and anchored by close engagement with parents and intensive collaboration with other professional groups. Over the course of many years,

the school experienced a decline in student numbers, low grade averages and high rates of absenteeism among both teachers and students. In 2008, however, the school was taken over by new management and a range of organisational changes introduced. Since then and right through to today, the school has undergone a remarkable transformation that has yielded some very impressive results, which will be discussed in more detail throughout this booklet. Between 2013 and 2019 the school has undergone an extensive process of modernisation with regards to its physical environment. The purpose of this modernisation has been to develop the right physical environment to support the pedagogical and didactic praxes that are undertaken at Søndervang School. Martin Bernhard, Headmaster

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

6,13

2,71 3,42

2009

3,42

2016

A school that understands education Over the last few years, the school has been working intensively to transition from a teaching approach that is based around subject lessons to an alternative that is more project-oriented and interdisciplinary. This means that the spaces used have changed from being traditional classrooms to spaces that are much more differentiated in their form and design. Teaching is supported, among other things, by the special focus that the school places on education and career development, as well as through cooperation agreements. In the autumn of 2013, the school further developed its pedagogic

praxis through the help of a 1:1 iPad programme which is used as an active component of the learning process.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

Environments that support learning methods

The average marks for students in year nine (across all students) have increased by 2.71 points from an average of 3.42 in 2009 to an average of 6.13 in 2016.

The school has three different educational levels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; lower primary, upper primary and lower secondary â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and its learning environments have been adapted to suit the different stages of development in each one. This is reflected in both the design and configuration of the various learning environments. Common to all of these learning environments is the use of highly tailored spatialities that support different teaching methods and digital ways of learning, and which take into account the many different learning preferences among the students.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School User involvement

PUTTING USERS IN FOCUS Understanding and involving users In order to identify exactly which preferences and needs should be used to guide the process of modernisation, students, staff, associations and local citizens were involved in the project through an extensive user process. This was a process that ensured that the academic goals, individual student learning preferences, the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visions and pedagogic and didactic praxes would all be supported in the new environments. The user process allowed for a short implementation phase and enabled users to feel a significant level of ownership over the various different projects.

Furthermore, an administrative and organizational process placed significant focus on creating synergy between the various units and their users, which include the school itself, after-school programmes, the club, daycare centres and leisure associations.

The Modernisation of Søndervang School

“SMAK has led the project to successful completion – in large part through its involvement of staff and end users – and we have been incredibly pleased with our collaboration” Martin Bernhard, Headmaster

The Modernisation of Søndervang School Designparameters

Individual study

Production & investigation

Discussion & conversation

Physical movement

The initial user process identified six activities that occur in all teaching and learning situations. These activities are integrated into six design parameters – dissemination, discussion and conversation, individual study, physical movement, production and investigation, and social activities – which the physical environment strives to support. Depending on the size of the group, within each of the six design parameters there will be a large-

Dissemination

Social activities

scale difference in the spatialities that are to support various activities. The design parameters and the difference in scale give a broad representation of different environments that support all teaching and learning situations – and not least, the different learning preferences of the students.

The Modernisation of Søndervang School Subject-tailored environments

THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENTS PROMOTE MOTIVATION AND BOOST LEARNING Every fourth student gets bored – and this affects their educational development. This sometimes happens because students have trouble identifying the purpose of a room and this in turn makes it difficult for them to get involved. Given that many children and young people spend up to half of their day in school and afterschool programmes, an inspiring and differentiated learning environment is essential to their motivation and well-being, and not least to their learning and academic development. In many schools, the classrooms look much the same as those that their parents and grandparents were taught in. These are

classrooms which, in our view, are not well suited to a motivating and varied school day – neither for students nor for staff. On the other hand, studies have shown that classrooms which are tailored to a specific subject are much more effective at motivating students, keeping them alert and helping them to learn. Rather than flexible learning environments, which attempt to accommodate everything at once, subject tailoring provides spatially differentiated learning environments that are each suited to different academic disciplines and ways of working. With the individual learning preferences of students as the starting point, there has been a great focus on creating a wide array of many different learning environments that gives students the opportunity to choose for

themselves the precise environment that best suits their needs and assignments. By giving the students a wealth of options, their motivation is increased – and thus also their well-being and educational development, as they acquire a sense of co-determination in the learning process.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

When the environment acts as the third educator Each learning environment is tailored to reflect a particular behaviour, with students being able to use the design and differentiating features of each room to quickly identify its subject focus, opportunities and potential applications. The differentiated environments in a sense provide guidance to the students â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and serve as a third educator. This is particularly evident in the spaces used for the dissemination of knowledge at lower primary level, where the furnishings, lighting and colours work together to optimise communication from teacher to student. All students are close to the speaker, speech recognition is good, and everyone can see what is happening on the screen.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

A fixed place â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even for the furniture Furnishings are deliberately fixed in place in some of the learning environments in order to prevent them from finding their way back to their traditional configurations, and to instead remain differentiated in their design. The environments thus foster more specific learning activities and are better able to support the establishment of a teaching approach that supports several student preferences.

Remarkable increase in the educational readiness of students From 63% in 2009 to 91% in 2016

91%

2009

63%

2016

The Modernisation of Søndervang School Lower primary

CLEAR FRAMEWORKS FOR THE YOUNGEST CHILDREN One of the conclusions from the user process with school staff was to retain fixed classrooms for the youngest children – moving them between different rooms where they don’t have their own permanent seats would risk that they quickly lose concentration.

it is in traditional schools. The fixed classrooms for lower primary students therefore also need to support activities that are not just directly related to teaching. At the same time, though, this also means that it has not been necessary to allocate separate spaces for afterschool schemes, thus making it possible to have fixed classrooms that are bigger in size.

By incorporating all six activity categories into these fixed classrooms, we ensure that the students get a secure and clear base without the need for multiple changes and disruptions. Søndervang School is a so-called whole-day school – meaning that it is open until 4 p.m. and offers extracurricular or leisure activities – although the timetable is not divided into teaching hours and leisure hours in the same way as

In order to support age-specific student learning preferences, the extra space available in the fixed classroom space has been used to create spatially differentiated learning environments divided into two interconnected spaces – one room reserved for group work and individual study and a smaller, more informal room for the dissemination of knowledge, independent study and learning activities that are not oriented around movement or motion.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

Space for the individual within the community

As some students need to move around when they are working on a task, the adjacent informal room contains a staircase-like podium which supports play and bodily movement and which can also be used for teaching activities together with the presentation screen. Students can also use soft furnishings and cushions to build workspaces that best meet their individual needs.

This division of the fixed classroom makes it possible to create spaces that are well-suited to study and group work and which are more decentralised in their orientation compared to rooms used for the dissemination of knowledge. The placement of tables along the walls creates a multitude of small environments where students can shield themselves off from visual distractions and thereby more easily engage with the task at hand. Moreover, this also frees up space for cooperation, community and project work in the centre of the room.

The large variety of learning environments gives the students great flexibility in relation to their own individual learning preferences; the students can choose for themselves exactly which environment and workplace is best suited to both their own preferences and to the task at hand. Equations can be solved

together around the group tables, individually in the shielded environments along the wall or when in motion on the podium. Student motivation is increased by allowing students to choose for themselves what space they will use for different tasks and activities, giving them a sense of participation in the learning process.

The Modernisation of Søndervang School Upper primary

METHOD-BASED SPACES FOR SPECIFIC LEARNING ACTIVITIES At upper primary level, students are better able to remain focused on a task. More students are ready to take tasks outside of the classroom and work on them individually or in groups. This independence and increased sense of self-determination is therefore supported by enabling the students to move freely in the common zone and choose the precise environment that best suits their needs and the working methods used for the task at hand. As some students are still in the process of developing these competencies, the fixed classroom is partially retained in order to create a secure and well-defined framework for their development.

Modernisation of the upper primary space combines principles from both the lower primary and secondary spaces, with six different fixed classrooms of varying sizes, all tailored in different ways. All of the learning environments are – with the exception of the lower primary environments – not configured as fixed classrooms, but rather as different methodbased spaces which support more specific learning activities and courses of study. This allows for individual classes to move from room to room over the course of the school year depending on the course being studied at any given time. In addition to the fixed classrooms, two group rooms have also been established where students can gather together for special lectures or group work.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

Fixed classrooms: Project zone and individual study The fixed classrooms consist of multiple different workspaces for both individual study and for group work as well. In order to support the students in their individual study, tables are placed along the wall where students can take refuge and shield themselves from visual distractions. Students can even create their own microenvironments using portable table screens should they feel a need for even more shielding. Community and project work can freely unfold in the middle of the room where students can discuss, cooperate and experiment, using subject-specific tools and aids to solve problems.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

The green mountain

work together without disturbing or being disturbed by activities in the larger room.

is the most noteworthy furnishing in the upper primary learning environments and is located in the largest room used by this group, which is 112 m2 in size. This large and cohesive piece of furniture takes the shape of a terraced mountain and performs multiple functions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it can be used in presentations delivered to up to ten classes, for group work and for individual study. The mountainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small recesses and niches allow students to take refuge, both visually and auditorily, and immerse themselves in a book or another form of educational material. Adjacent to the mountain is a smaller group room into which students can retreat in order to

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

Study and group work One of the former classrooms has been converted into a space that supports individual study and work in small groups. This room is furnished with an amoeba-shaped planter from which a number of small trees grow, giving the room a special atmosphere that promotes immersive study. Adjacent to this room is a common space which is specially configured for dissemination activities such as the introduction of tasks, the presentation of projects or theoretical lessons related to new tasks. Along the wall of this room is a tiered seating area where students can sit while the teacher gives a presentation or vice versa.

When the room is not being used for dissemination activities, it can also be used for individual study and group work.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

The Modernisation of Søndervang School Lower secondary level

ACTIVITY-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS The school reform provides for several different application-oriented courses of study which are able to create context between theory and practice. Previously, each class had its own room – a room with furnishings and configurations that reflected neither the methods being used nor the specific academic subject. In order to improve subject focus at secondary level, these fixed classrooms are done away with – instead, students use method and subject-specific rooms where students can quickly determine from the design and configuration of the room how it should best be put to use. The environments are therefore better equipped than traditional classrooms to support the various different academic

specialisations and substantive activities that students can pursue at lower secondary level. The removal of fixed classrooms also foments learning in that it allows students to form part of larger communities that mix different secondary classes together – both during class times and in the breaks.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

Space for immersive study At SĂ¸ndervang School, students primarily present their tasks in digital form, either in writing or as a presentational video. An entire classroom has been transformed into smaller group workspaces so that students can work in peace to record their videos. These rooms also serve as spaces for private study.

Lower secondary students often consider the social aspect of school to be just as important as the academic side â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if not even more so. In order to help separate the social and the academic somewhat, a break area has been established in the lower secondary part of the school which provides the right framework for social interaction. In the evenings, this space also servers as a club area for young people in the local community.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

Tailored method rooms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; students and subjects on the move

A smaller space has also been established for dissemination activities and shorter lectures.

Based on the individual learning preferences and styles of the students, a wide range of differently tailored learning environments and method rooms has been created, with students and subjects being free to move from space to space depending on what activity or method is being used. There is space for both theoretical study and immersion, discussions/conversations, experiments with new forms of learning and cooperation in both smaller and bigger groups.

Different educational activities require different learning environments, which is why different types of group rooms have been established, allowing students to work together both practically and theoretically, using subject-specific tools and aids to solve various problems.

The Modernisation of Søndervang School The production kitchen and food technology

A WEEK IN THE PRODUCTION KITCHEN In connection with the development of a new food technology classroom and a production kitchen for the three daycare centres moving onto the school’s grounds, Søndervang School sought inspiration from how continuation schools (the Danish ‘efterskoler’) operate their production kitchens. In addition to having two kitchen facilities, Søndervang School also has a kitchen which can be used for both teaching and for production food for all of the institutions on the premises. The kitchen is set up as a production kitchen with different production areas. For example, there are separate areas for hot and cold food preparation as well

as a bakery. The kitchen is open in its design so passers-by can see what is going on inside the kitchen and smell what they are going to have for breakfast. In order to optimise logistics and supply, the kitchen is located in the immediate vicinity of the school’s main entrance, canteen and the new daycare groups.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

A slightly different school timetable While most schools have food tech classes for a few hours each week, the students at SĂ¸ndervang School are instead divided into small groups of two to three students and alternatingly given the chance to swap their normal school work for a week in the production kitchen. This way of working is designed to motivate the students to become more curious about food production from a more business-oriented perspective. Before entering the kitchen, students receive theoretical instruction about the subject and they also undergo a hygiene course that teaches them how to safely handle food.

The Modernisation of Søndervang School

From home economics to food technology Home economics has been replaced by food technology. While this subject used to deal with the practicalities of running a household, or ‘the nuclear family’, it is now focused on nutrition, hygiene, cultural understanding, project-oriented collaboration and documentation.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

The Modernisation of Søndervang School The educational learning centre

THE EDUCATIONAL LEARNING CENTRE [ELC] The school’s educational learning centre has been converted from a traditional school library into a space that enables a wide range of central activities – across subjects and stages of development. Through the use of specially designed fixtures, different areas have been created to support different learning preferences and activities. Instead of long corridors between the bookcases, the space has been used for working areas where students can study, present information, hold discussions and move around. A media workshop has also been established as a part of the learning centre, complete with a green screen and computers

for the editing and mixing of sound, images and video. Beyond functioning as an educational learning centre during school hours, the space is also open to the local community as a public library at certain times.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

Books in focus Even though the ELC is much more than just a library, books nonetheless occupy a central position of significance within the space â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not just in the sense that they are important media in the learning process, but also through their capacity to create atmosphere and to invest the space with a unique ambience. Bookcases create variation and differentiation within the space

as they allow it to be divided into different zones which support student learning preferences and the various different sequences of a single learning pathway.

The reading tower and the shielded workspaces give students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a task or a book without being disturbed by other activities that are unfolding in the same space. Plateaus of stage boxes with integrated browsing boxes invite students to linger and engage in less formal dissemination activities, with a projector making it possible to present short introductions before continuing on to do some group work, for example. The space can also be used for play and individual study.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

The project was nominated for the Nohrcon Prize for School Building of the Year in 2015.

The media workshop presents students with various different digital tools and media, as well as a green screen and computers that can be used for video editing, production and the dissemination of various different projects.

In order to create a space for group work and debate, the tailored zone is placed in an environment that is at once open and shielded, built up from both group tables and shielded niches. The bookcases give rise to quieter compartments and shielded areas.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

Test area for design principles

the learning process â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the ELC was therefore often booked for project work for single and even multiple classes.

The ELC was one of the first areas to be modernised at SĂ¸ndervang School. It was therefore used as a kind of test lab in order to identify how the other learning environments in the school should be configured. When the ELC was first completed, the learning environments in the other classrooms were set up as traditional classrooms, primarily intended to support traditional lecture-based approaches towards teaching. Teachers at the school quickly recognised how the differentiated learning environments in the ELC offered completely different and much better opportunities to support

The Modernisation of Søndervang School Motion path

A DIFFERENT WAY OF GETTING FROM A TO B Research shows that movement promotes learning and physiological development in children and young people. The body stimulates the brain – when the body is in motion, blood circulation increases and this helps the brain to work more quickly. But how can we make movement into an integrated part of daily life at the school – and in a fun and different way? At many other public schools in Denmark, the corridors are used exclusively to connect and separate the different parts of the school. By reimagining how this space is used, the school has gained a multifunctional corridor that not only integrates

movement into everyday life, but which also expands the amount of space available for play and study. Various different stations have been integrated into the school’s 1.2 kilometres of corridor space, creating a single motion path throughout the school. These stations all perform different functions, depending on where in the school they are located and which target group they are intended for. The motion path complements the traditional corridor system, allowing students to always choose a fun and more challenging way of getting from A to B. Several parts of the path can also be used for academic purposes; e.g. by measuring different geometric shapes or working with dimension and scale. In this way, the motion path promotes a culture in which movement is an integrated part of the children’s everyday lives and learning processes.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

The Modernisation of Søndervang School

Autopilot gets switched off

In order to ensure that children can balance, climb and laugh their way through the colourful motion path – and without disturbing or bothering other students – it has been fitted with acousticregulating surfaces, as well as soundproof doors on all of the classrooms.

The motion path appeals to the offbeat, the crazy, the wild and the still – but above all, it takes into account that all children are unique. In order to benefit all students – and their different stages of development – the path is built up from versatile modules that can promote multiple different types of movement. Our brains often run on autopilot – but when the long, uniform corridor that previously provided very little stimulation is instead transformed into a different and unique type of obstacle course, autopilot gets switched off and students are inspired to interact with the space.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

When motion creates cohesion between the school, associations and the local community In line with the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim to function as a gathering place for local children, young people and adults, the motion path has been designed as an open and active common space that inspires both children and adults alike to move around and get active. The school works very closely with local associations which use its sports facilities on a daily basis, such as its playing field, swimming pool and gym â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and now even its motion path, which has become an active part of many training

activities thanks to its warm-up stations, running tracks and the opportunities it offers to practise and develop coordination skills.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

The project has been developed in connection with the School+ campaign which places focus on ways in which new active environments can be established within existing physical spaces. The campaign is a response to the new school reform and the requirements it places on the

greater integration of movement into teaching and education. During this phase of the modernisation process, SMAK was a sub-consultant for Friis & Moltke, which was the turnkey consultant. The project received funding from Realdania and from the Danish

Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities amounting to a total of DKK 3.5 million.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School Staff facilities

HOMELY WORKING ENVIRONMENTS The working hours agreement and school reform of 2014 introduced a new and different working culture which, among other things, placed new requirements on the preparation facilities available to teachers. At the same time as the school reform and working hours agreement came into force, the new staff area was ready. Instead of pursuing a 1:1 model where all employees have their own desk space, at SĂ¸ndervang School we have instead worked to establish a working environment that supports the various different preparation tasks that teachers and educators need to complete. Before the new reform, teachers often did their preparation work

at home where they could create and tailor their own workplaces, whether in their kitchen, on the sofa or in a study. The common denominator for all of these workspaces was that they felt homely and inviting. It has therefore been important to recreate these kinds of homely, cosy and informal workspaces that staff tend to prefer for their preparation work.

The Modernisation of Søndervang School

Drastic decline in absenteeism among staff at Søndervang School

10,4%

2009

2016 31,3%

31,3%

The rate of absenteeism for staff at Søndervang School has dropped from 31.3% to 10.4% between 2009 and 2016.

The Modernisation of Søndervang School

Why create 50 uniform workspaces for 50 different teachers? Given that everyone is different and that we all have our individual preferences, part of the modernisation process has involved the reimagining and creation of activity-based preparation facilities – facilities that can meet the different needs and preferences of staff members and which can take account of their different working styles and preparation needs. Rather than providing staff with traditional office workspaces with a desk and a chair, employees now have the possibility to work in peace at a shielded table, correct assignments while nestled

in a comfy armchair, or consult colleagues in homely niches that serve as informal meeting spaces. Community and good collegial relations have been prioritised highly, and with longer – and often more hectic – working days now the norm, it is important to ensure that the physical environment can support a warm and collaborative culture. Different environments provide space for social activities and give staff the opportunity to take shorter or longer breaks to breathe and relax, either alone or together with their colleagues.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

Space for cooperation Rooms for meetings and cooperation constitute one of the most important preparation facilities at SĂ¸ndervang School. This is in part because increased cooperation between educators and teachers requires several different spaces that can support professional dialogue and meetings. Meetings and professional dialogues can have many different forms and purposes, and it is therefore important to give staff a range of different spaces to choose from so that they can find the right room for any situation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; no matter whether this be a space for solving

creative challenges, hosting formal networking events or holding sensitive conversations.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

Various functions combined in a single furnishing In order to create the right working environments, there is often a need to use furnishings that can fulfil a specific purpose while also giving rise to spatialities that support and foster different working preferences. For this reason, SMAK has designed its own custom furnishings that combine different functions into a single

unit and create spaces that can be used in multiple different ways. A lounge furnishing, for example, can solve a storage problem at the same time as it can create a central meeting space for staff at the school.

The Modernisation of SĂ¸ndervang School

The Modernisation of SÃ¸ndervang School

Contact SMAK ARCHITECTS Balticagade 10.1 8000 Aarhus C Denmark SMAKARCHITECTS.COM CONTACT PERSON MARTIN ROALD ARCHITECT MAA, PARTNER T: +45 51 37 31 91 M: mr@smakarchitects.com